Ferrari were at the centre of a huge upset in qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix. Both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were knocked out in Q2.
Leclerc came into the weekend riding the high of his first-ever victory on home soil. He produced a dominant display in Monaco, taking pole before cruising to the win.
While Sainz hadn’t been able to reach the level of his teammate, he too was on strong form. His third place gave Ferrari their first double podium since the Australian GP in March.
As they arrived in Montreal, there was even talk of a championship challenge. Leclerc closed the gap on Max Verstappen to 31 points in the drivers’, and Ferrari moved within 24 in the constructors’ after Sergio Perez crashed out and Verstappen could only finish sixth.
But there were worrying signs for the Scuderia in FP3, the first fully representative session of the weekend. Leclerc was only 10th fastest, eight tenths off the pace, while Sainz was a couple of tenths further back in 12th.
And Ferrari weren’t able to find a fix before qualifying. Leclerc could only manage P11, failing to really get close to the time set by Alex Albon in 10th, and his teammate was immediately behind.
David Croft shares Oliver Bearman amazement after Ferrari Q2 exit at Canadian Grand Prix
This was the first time neither Ferrari had made it to Q3 since the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix. Back then, they were only observers in the championship fight between Mercedes and Red Bull.
Watching on from the garage, Oliver Bearman, who’s reportedly signed a deal to race for Haas next season, was visibly stunned. With no F2 this weekend, academy driver Bearman has been carrying out a support role.
Speaking on Sky Sports F1, commentator David Croft offered a similar reaction. He couldn’t believe the turnaround in Ferrari’s fortunes compared to a fortnight ago.
He said: “The two Ferraris, who had such an excellent weekend in Monaco, are both in the bottom five on the grid. And yes, Ollie Bearman, I can barely believe it too. That is an absolute shocker for Ferrari. The Prancing Horse has seen the stable door slammed shut.”
Leclerc was deliberately tight-lipped on the team radio when his exit was confirmed. He told his engineer he wouldn’t ‘comment here’, avoiding an outburst on the public feed.
Fred Vasseur ‘sacrifice’ comments after Monaco ring true
After the success of Monaco, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has tried to keep a lid on expectations. After all, the streets of the principality are a test unlike anything else on the calendar.
Vasseur warned that they wouldn’t be bringing another upgrade to their car until the British GP next month, having introduced their first major developments at Imola in May. He also stressed that Ferrari had ‘sacrificed’ some qualifying speed for better performance in races.
The Frenchman did add that the team’s recent showings had ‘given him confidence for Canada’, so he will still be both shocked and bitterly disappointed. Leclerc and Sainz, meanwhile, will be banking on that familiar step forward on a Sunday.
The upcoming stretch of races before the summer break could be key in shaping the championship landscape. And so Ferrari need to understand whether their struggles this weekend are due to mistakes, fundamental weaknesses in the car, or a combination of both.
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